Track working machine



Nov. ll, 1958 H. H. TALBoYs 2,359,706y

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NOV 11, 1958 y H. H. 'rALlacwsl 2,859,706

` TRACK WORKING M'Amm:

Filed sept. 22, --1955 .4 Sheets--Sheet 3 In ven ZOr Nov. l1, 1958 H. H. TALBoYs 2,859,706

TRACK WORKING MACHINE mea sept. '22. 1955 4 sheets-sheet 4 Eig. 9

I?? ven Zor y jarer o? varier .F2/for?? @ys TRACK WORKING MACHINE Henry H. Talboys, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Nordberg Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 22, 1955, Serial No. 535,960

11 Claims. (Cl. 10S-157) This invention is directed to a new and improved track working machine.

One purpose of the present invention is the provision of improved supporting Wheel assemblies for a track working machine.

Another purpose of the present invention is the provision of an improved track working machine and supporting wheel assembly which does not interfere with the line of sight along the supporting rails of the track.

Another purpose is the provision of improved supporting wheels for a track machine which are so formed as to prevent lateral movement of the machine but which at the same time enable the user to sight along one rail of the track.

Another purpose is the provision of improved meansV for converting an ordinary supporting roller for track machines to either a single or double flanged wheel for the machine.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the ensuing specication and claims.

Referring generally now to the drawings:

Figure -1 is an assembly View of the invention shown in side elevation;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of a typical supporting Wheel construction utilized in the invention;

Figure 3 is a plan View of the supporting wheel construction shown in Figure 2 taken along the section line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of a typical supporting Wheel;

Figure 5 is a side view of a typical wheel ilange locking assembly utilized in the wheel construction shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan View of a typical wheel flange employed in the wheel construction shown in .Figures 2 through 5;

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the flange shown in Figure 6 taken along the section line 7-7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an assembly view of the wheel construction shown in Figure 2 with certain elements being shown in sectionfor purposes of clarity;

Figure 9 is a sectional view of the wheel construction shown in Figure 4 taken along the section line 9-9 of Figure 4; and

Figure 10 is a sectional illustration of a modified wheel construction. i

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout the specication and drawings.

Referring specifically now to the drawings and in the first instance to Figure 1, I illustrate more or less diagrammatically a track working machine embodying the present invention. 1 designates the machine, 2 the supporting railswhich are, in turn, supported on the customary ties 3 supported `on a bed of ballast 4. The machine may include any suitable longitudinally extending framev members 5, transversely extending frame members .6, and generally upright frame members 7. The particular form of supporting frame Vmay be widely atent variedand `for this reason the particular showing should ICC be taken in a diagrammatic or illustrative sense and not in any limited sense.

Positioned at each end of the frame are a pair of supporting wheels designated generally at 10. The wheels 10 may be mounted for rotation on any suitable transversely extending axles 11 which are supported by the frame of the machine. Each of the supporting wheels 10 may be identically formed and are shown in detail in Figures 2 to l0 inelusive. Each wheel includes a central roller 14 which has a width less than the width of the head of the rail 2. An inside flange 15 is mounted for rotation with respect to the axle 11 and sliding movement toward and away.

from the central roller 14. A locking member 16 is piV-.

otally connected as at 17 with a bearing 18 which is mounted against rotation with respect to the flange 15. The locking element 16 is selectively operable to hold the inner flange in either the extended position, shown.

by the left hand ange in Figure 2, or in the withdrawn position, shown by the right hand flange in Figure 2.

The locking elements 16 may take the form of spaced members 19 having recesses 20 which receive a ledge 21 carried by the frame. The recesses 20 and ledge 21 are positioned so that when they are engaged, one withthe other, they are effective to hold the ange 15 insnug abutting relation with the roller 14. A plate 22 may be positioned between the members 19 and provided with a central opening 23 which receives a spring arm 24 positioned above the ledge 21. The spring arm 24 may include a portion 25, extending generally parallel withl the axle 11, and an upstanding portion 26. It may be connected to the frame by any suitable bolt or the like 27. When it is desired to move the inner flange 15 inwardly away from the roller 14, the element 16 is r0- tated in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 17 (as in the left-hand wheel assembly shown in FigureZ), to a point where the members 19 and plate 22 will clear the spring member `24. The flange 15- is then moved inwardly toward the position illustrated by the righthand inner flange in Figure 2 and the opening -23 is moved over the spring member 24 to the positionvshown in Figure 2 kby the right-hand inner ilangeassembly. When in this position, the upstanding portion 26 of the spring member abuts against the plate and holds it in the position illustrated. When it is desired to move the ilangeoutwardly into abutting relation with the roller 14, the outer end of the spring member 24 is depressed sufliciently to allow movement of the plate 22 out of engagement therewith and the inner ange 15 is moved outwardly to a positon where the locking element 16 may be effective to hold the flange in its extended position.

The wheel construction includes a removable outer flange 29 which is formed so as to accommodate the wheel to different rail head sizes. The outer flange is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. It is formed as. a ring with -$ancentral opening 30. The flange body also includes a recessed portion 31 on one face thereof. The recessed portion 31 has a diameter greater than thatrof the central opening 30. The diameter of the recess 31 corresponds to the diameter of the roller 14. Thus the flange 29 may be positioned as shown in Figure 8 with the outer face of the roller 14 received in the recess 31 or it may be positioned as shown in Figure 9, with the opposite face of the llange in snug abutting relation with the roller 14. ln this position, the recess 31 faces outwardly.

The centralvroller 14 includes a hub 32 which terminates at its outer end in projections 33 which extend radially outwardly from the axis of the hub. The prof jections 33 are equally spaced so as to define openings 34 therebetween. The central roller may be keyed to' the axle 11 and held against sliding movement on the axle 11 by any suitable means, such as the bolt 35 and locking element 36 indicated in Figure 9.

A locking ring-37 (shown in Figure 5) hasY an outer diameter corresponding to the diameter of the opening 3 0 inthe flange 29. The locking ring 37 has a central opening 38;' corresponding in diameter to the diameter o fj'the circle described by the outer edges of the projections 33 during rotation of the projections 33. The locking ring includes projections 39 which extend into they opening 38. The projections 39 have a size and configuration conforming to the openings 34, so that the .locking ring 37 may be slipped into position over the projections 33,. It should be noted in Figure 9 that the projections 33 are spaced outwardly from the outer face of thel roller 14. The locking ring 37 and projections 39 have a size such that when the locking ring is positioned as shown in Figure 9, the projections 39 will abut against the inner faces of the projections 33. The locking ring 37 includes a lug 40 which is carried on a springarm 4.1. The spring arm 41 is secured to the outer face of the locking ring 37 by any suitable means, such as a bolt or the like 42. The lug 40 has a size and configuration conforming generally to the size and configurationof the projections 39 and it is positioned so that the spring arm 41 biases it toward the openings between the projections 39.

The locking ring also includes outwardly extending flanges 43 which are spaced about the ring 37. They are effective to engage the outer face of the flange 29 and hold the flange 29 snugly against the roller 14.

When it is desired to position the outer flange 29 against the roller 14, the flange 29 is assembled with the locking ring, so that the flanges 43 abut against the face of the recess 31, as shown in Figure 9, or against the other face of the flange, as shown in Figure 8, depending upon the size of the head of the rail over which the wheel travels. The assembled flange 29 and the locking ring 37 are then moved over the projections33, the projections39 then being generally aligned with the spaces 3.4 between the projections 33. The flange and locking rmgare moved into snug abutting relation with the roller 1.4 and the locking ring 37 is then rotated so as to positlon the projections 39 between the projections 33 and the roller 14. It is rotated to the position shown in Figure 4 and in this position the dog 40 snaps into the space between the projections 39, thus preventing further rotation of the locking ring 37 with relation to the roller 14. When the roller is thus assembled, the projections 39 prevent outward displacement of the flange 29 with respect to the roller 14.

When the outer flange 29 is to be removed, the dog 4 0 isrmoved outwardly against the bias of the spring arm 41 and the locking. ring is-then rotated to a position where the projections 39 are generally aligned with the spaces 34.V Theflange 29 and locking ring 37may then be removed fromthe roller 14.

InFigur-e 10, I illustrate a modified form of wheel construction. In this figure, the roller 14 is the same asfthat-indicated in the other figures and the inner flange is the same. In this figure, however, an outer flange 44 hasacentral bore 45` provided with screw threads 46 which are engageable with cooperating screw threads 47 orf-,thehub 48 of the roller 14. In this figure, the outer flangeg4.4. isremoved from the roller 14 byv rotating it with respect totheroller 14. It may be adjusted to any desiredposition with` respect to Vthe roller 14 so as to accommodate various sizes of rail heads. Any suitable locking means (not shown), such as a key and key-way construction, may be employed to prevent relative rotationof theflange44 with respect to the roller 14, once thefdesired-position of adjustment has been reached.

' Each of the wheels lil 'isA formed in the manner shown in Figures 259 and the outer flanges 29 may be selectivelyl jzgositionedl on, the wheels on either side of the 4 machine. When both the inner and outer flanges are removed from the roller 14, a person may sight along the track without having the line of sight disturbed by the wheel construction.

Whereas I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, I wish it to be understood that there are many modifications to the invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and which will fall within the scope and spirit of the invention. The drawings and description of the invention should be taken in a diagrammatic or illustrative sense only and not in any limited sense. The scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

I illustrate a track working machine which is provided with improved supporting wheels. The machine proper may take the form of a track lining machine as inmy copending application, Serial 466,819, which was filed November 4, 1954. The machine may, if desired, be self-propelled, as by a chain drive 12b, and may include any mechanism for performing work along the railroad right-of-way.

The supporting wheels for the machine are so formed thta the wheels on either side ofthe machine may be converted from a supporting roller with no flanges to a single or double flanged roller. Thsis highly important because it allows the user of the machine to sight along. one rail of the track and direct the work-performing operation without having his line of sight disturbed by a flange. The supporting roller has a width less than the width of the rail head, thus leaving the sides of the head exposed. In converting a double flanged roller, as is shown at the left in Figure 2, to an ordinary roller as is shown by the right-hand roller in Figure 2, the operator need only release the locking element 24 and move the inner flange 15 inwardly and release the locking element 41 and rotate the flange 29 to a position where it may be removed.

Since the assembly at each side of the machine isidentically formed, the outer flange may be positioned on either the left-hand roller or the right-hand roller, depending upon the desires of the operator.

I claim:

l. In a track working machine, a base movable along the rails of a track and supporting wheels for said base, a connection between the base and the wheels, at least one, of said wheels including a roller engageable with the head of the rail, a flange movable into and out of engagement with said roller, means on the base for holding said flange against said roller and means onthe base for holding said flange in a spaced position with respect to said roller, when out of` engagementtherewith.

2. In a track workingmachine, abase movable along the railsof a track and supporting wheels for said base, a connection between the base and the wheels, at least one of said wheels including av roller engageable with the head of the rail, removable flanges attachableto the inner and outer sides of said roller, and locking meanscooperable with said inner flange and said base for selectively Vholding said flange at an outer extended position in engagement with said roller and including means for holding said flange ingan inwardlywithdrawn position spaced from said roller.

3. The structure of claim 2 characterized by and including removable flanges for each of said supporting rollers, the outer flanges being attachable to a selected supporting roller.

4. The structure of, claim 2 wherein said 'roller has a Width less than the width of a supporting rail.`

5L A flange wheel assembly for track working machines including an intermediate roller, an inner flange movable into and out of engagement with the inner side of said roller, and an outer flange removably attachable to the outer side'of said roller, said outer flange being reversible, side for side, for selective engagement with the outer side of said roller, said outer flange having one face adapted to snugly abut the outer face of said roller and an opposite face having a recess for receiving the outer face of said roller, whereby selective positioning of said outer ange on said roller accommodates the wheel to different sizes of rails,

6. The structure of claim 5 characterized by and including locking means cooperable between said outer flange and said roller in either position of said outer flange. Y

7. A removable flange for use with a track machine supporting roller including a ange body having opposed sides selectively engageable with one side of a roller, said body having a central opening of a diameter smaller than the diameter of said roller, one side of said body having a recess coaxial with said opening and of a diameter generally equal to the diameter of said roller, whereby selective positioning of said outer flange with respect to said roller accommodates the roller and ange to different sizes of rails.

8. The structure of claim 2 wherein the flange positioned on the outer side of said roller is in threaded engagement with a hub on said roller.

9. The structure of claim 2 characterized by and in- CTI cluding a locking ring removably attached to said roller, the ange on the outer side of said roller being removably carried by said ring.

l0. A anged wheel assembly for trackworking machines and the like, including an intermediate roller having a width less than the width of a supporting rail, and inner and outer flanges removably mounted with respect to the sides of the roller so that they can be removed to provide for sighting down the rail.

1l. In a trackworking machine, a base movable along the rails of a track, supporting wheels for the base, a connection between the base and the wheels, at least one of the wheels including a roller engageable with the head of the rail and having a width less than the width of the rail head, a ange movable into and out of position adjacent the inside of the roller, and means on the base for holding the ange in an extended position adjacent the roller and in a withdrawn position spaced from the roller.

Hedglin Feb. 11, 1919 Piper Apr. 1, 1952 

